Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show

On this episode: Zak sits down with Jessica Calarco, whose new book – Holding It Together – is out tomorrow. The two walk through the ways in which women, and especially mothers, replace a social safety net in the United States... and, more importantly, why it doesn’t have to be this way.

We also dole out a round of recommendations – and for our Slate Plus listeners, we continue Zak and Jessica’s conversation and ask Jamilah and Elizabeth what they think their unpaid labor is holding together.

Elizabeth recommends: Brain Inflamed

Zak recommends: Play your favorite music videos for your kids. Like this.

Jamilah recommends: If (in theaters now!)

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Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Jamilah help a listener whose niece lives overseas... and thinks that racism doesn’t exist anymore. How can the listener help educate, but not in a judgy or alienating way?

We also go over our week in triumphs and fails — and then, if you stick around for Slate Plus, we decide whether Arnold Schwarzenegger’s parenting strategies deserve an “I’d Do That” or a termination.

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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On this episode: Zak, Jamilah and Elizabeth help a listener who’s having trouble securing a babysitter for their toddler... and starting to resign themselves to just not going anywhere. We’ll talk about what might be causing the end of the teenage babysitter, and some childcare solutions that might be worth trying instead.

We’ll also share a round of recommendations — and then, for Slate Plus, we’ll share some memories of what it was like to be babysat, all those years ago.

Elizabeth recommends: Solar Eclipse Glasses; NASA Solar Eclipse Resources

Zak recommends: Ninja Classes

Jamilah recommends: Quiet On Set on MAX

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak are joined by Natasha Nelson, who is known as Supernova Momma, to discuss positive parenting. Natasha explains what positive discipline actually entails, how to realistically use the approach, and what people misunderstand about gentle parenting. They also give advice to a listener who has been trying to adhere to a positive parenting philosophy but are finding themselves frustrated in the face of big temper tantrums.

Then on Slate Plus, they play a round of parenting One Gotta Go.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our NEW PHONE LINE: (646) 357-9318!

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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On this episode from our friends at Slate's Decoder Ring podcast: When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the scouting magazine Boys’ Life. Under the enticing headline “You Can Float on Air,” the ad assured Evan—and generations of scouts—that a personal hovercraft could be theirs for just a few bucks.

In this episode, the adult version of Evan journeys halfway across the country to wield power tools, summon his latent scouting skills, and conscript his father into a quest three decades in the making.

Will Evan float on air? Scout’s honor: You’ll just have to listen.

This episode was written by Evan Chung, who produced this episode with Decoder Ring’s Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. It was edited by Willa Paskin and Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

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